Ranking 5 WWE celebrity appearances in 2022
WWE has a thing for celebrities showing up in the wrestling world and crossing paths with its talent. Sometimes, the company goes the extra mile to give outsiders a win over full-time wrestlers.
Floyd Mayweather defeated The Big Show at WrestleMania 24 while Stephen Amell tagged alongside Neville to defeat Stardust and Wade Barrett at Summerslam in 2015. The company has also hosted the likes of Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman and former Daily Show host Jon Stewart.
This year also featured several celebrity appearances, one of whom ended up signing a multi-event WWE contract.
Listed below is the ranking of five celebrity appearances in 2022.
#5. Bad Bunny as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble
Bad Bunny y Brock Lesnar #ROYALRUMBLE https://t.co/5lT0BfT5VD
Bad Bunny managed to deliver a decent performance every time he stepped into the squared circle. His tag match alongside Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37 was surprisingly good.
However, his Royal Rumble performance was overkill in terms of booking. The company decided to have him eliminate Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler and be among the last six superstars in the ring before Brock Lesnar eliminated him.
It was ludicrous even as a thought to feature him so heavily in one of the biggest matches of the year over full-time wrestlers.
#4. Johnny Knoxville at the Royal Rumble
At the Day 1 Premium Live Event in January, Johnny Knoxville announced that he would be entering the Royal Rumble. This evoked a reaction from Sami Zayn and sparked a feud between the two, leading to entertaining segments on television.
However, Knoxville didn't do much at the event itself and was eliminated by Zayn in one minute and 26 seconds. This was not entirely a failure for this feud or for WWE, though, as the two would later meet to steal the show. More on that in a bit.
#3. Pat McAfee faces Austin Theory at WrestleMania 38, and then some
Pat McAfee has multiple designations to his credit, including color commentator, sports analyst, and professional wrestler.
His performance at WrestleMania 38 was stellar, and he even emerged victorious from the bout against Austin Theory, a full-time wrestler. The crowd seemed to enjoy it.
In typical WWE fashion, however, all the momentum was flushed down the drain when Mr. McMahon called for an impromptu match against McAfee. This marked the former's last match, which he ridiculously won. It was embarrassing to watch, but nevertheless a WrestleMania moment. It was quickly followed by an even bigger moment when Austin came out to hit Stunners on everyone in the ring.
McAfee would later return to the ring at SummerSlam to defeat Baron Corbin in a singles match before taking a hiatus from working for WWE for the foreseeable future.
Saturdays this fall, @PatMcAfeeShow joins @CollegeGameDay as part of a multi-year agreement with ESPN
McAfee will make his first stop this weekend in Austin @TexasLonghorns
More: bit.ly/3Ri3fkR https://t.co/rWR5iQqc8o
McAfee is expected to return to WWE once his outside commitments have ended.
#2. Logan Paul makes in-ring debut in WWE at WrestleMania 38
Logan Paul might just be the best celebrity superstar the company has ever had. In just three matches since making his debut, he has already established himself as a credible star.
On April 2, I compete at Wrestlemania in front of 100,000 people. This is a rough sketch of my wrestling outfit 😏 https://t.co/L9YvBUCcJ4
Paul's in-ring debut came at WrestleMania when he tagged alongside The Miz to defeat The Mysterios. It was a solid match, albeit nothing to write home about until The Miz turned on Paul post-match, thus planting the seeds for the latter's eventual return.
On June 30, he signed a multi-event contract with the company, paving the way for his return match against The Miz at SummerSlam, in which he impressed. This was followed by a breakout performance against Roman Reigns in the main event of Crown Jewel.
#1. Johnny Knoxville steals the show with the MVP of WWE
Jackass star Johnny Knoxville was paired opposite Sami Zayn and the two men were embroiled in a feud on the road to WrestleMania. After a lackluster appearance at the Royal Rumble, both men were scheduled for an "Anything Goes" match, which is another name for a No Disqualification match.
Zayn and Knoxville worked hard to produce one of the most entertaining and ludicrous matches ever. It was nonsensical fun and a stunt show altogether.
I love this video.
One of the biggest compliments I got about the Wrestlemania match with Johnny Knoxville was Michael Cole, who’s seen & called it all for 25 years, saying it was the most fun he’s had calling a match.
He & Pat added so much.
What a party.
https://t.co/Sco58aK3J1
Knoxville's performance at WrestleMania was debatably the best celebrity appearance in WWE in a long time.
Sami Zayn, on the other hand, proved to the wrestling world that he can hang with anybody and produce an engaging bout no matter what. Here's to the MVP of WWE, whose future looks bright as we head towards the new year.